


don't worry 'bout whatever

by dottie_wan_kenobi



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friends to Lovers, Multi, Non-Explicit Smut, five times fic, minor/background characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 08:54:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottie_wan_kenobi/pseuds/dottie_wan_kenobi
Summary: Shaking himself out of it, he ignores the few texts Bruce has sent, the missed call from Alfred, and texts the groupchat between Artemis, Wally, and himself. Need a cuddle sesh, he says, glad that they’re getting more comfortable with the whole thing. It’s obvious his friends need it, and he won’t deny it helps him, too. It’s nice to lay down with them, two people he trusts and cares about and loves, and just relax. Just be.The only downside, really, is that it’s difficult to be around them and not notice things. Like how bright Artemis’ rare smiles are, and how her ponytail swings when she gets really animated, and how every once in a while, she grabs his hand and doesn’t say anything. Like how Wally says stupid things sometimes just to make them laugh, and how he knows their exact favorite flavors of things, and how much he loves science and math. Like how Dick is totally, and pretty inappropriately, starting to crush on them both big time.----Five Times Wally, Dick, and Artemis cuddle totally platonically + One Time it's not so platonic
Relationships: Artemis Crock/Dick Grayson/Wally West
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65
Collections: 2019 Young Justice Big Bang





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S HEREEEEE!!!!!! title from Kiss The Boy by Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally on CW's The Flash) and no real warnings that I can think of!
> 
> Thank you so much to my wonderful artist [Tessa](https://tessaart.tumblr.com) who made the art you'll see within. Go on tumblr and reblog!!
> 
> Also thank you to my friend [whateverrrrwhatever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whateverrrrwhatever) who helped with some editing!!
> 
> Thanks to the YJBB mod, Charlie, for setting this all up! And also thank you to you for clicking on my story <333

Dick throws his gym bag into the direction of his couch, careless of where it actually lands. All that’s in it anyway is a collection of gross, sweaty clothes. Not exactly precious cargo. He moves into the room so Wally and Artemis can shuffle in behind him, pausing to kick his shoes off in the corner. After nine years of running around the circus barefoot as often as possible, and another ten having to wear them around the Manor, he enjoys not having to wear any around his own place.

“We gotta take ours off too?” Wally asks, staring at the full shoe rack, which has just about every pair Dick still fits in. He might’ve gone a little overboard when he moved out, but it’s better to have them all than not, and have to go back to the Manor just for a single pair.

Dick doesn’t think on it for long before saying, “Nah, I don’t care.”

Artemis steps around them, dropping her own bag on the floor and toeing out of her boots. “You say that, but the second Wally here puts his gross Converse on your bed, you’re gonna go batshit.”

“I will not!” Dick defends, amused. They all know she’s totally right. He doesn’t care if they wear their shoes around his apartment, but when it comes to his furniture, that’s different. “I just don’t like people tracking mud on surfaces that are hard to clean, okay? I really don’t think it’s that much to ask.”

“How hard is it to clean sheets, man? And anyway, hey! My shoes aren’t gross!” Wally makes a face, then says comfortingly to his feet, “She didn’t mean it. You guys are perfect just the way you are, oh yes you are….”

Artemis looks right at Dick, raising a single, judging eyebrow, like ‘can you get a load of this idiot?’ He doesn’t bother to stifle his smile, just joins her in watching as Wally devolves into baby talk. Wally’s had this pair since his last growth spurt hit him in junior year of high school. Now it’s junior year of college, and he’s still walking around in them even though they’re threadbare and ratty as all get out. Dick’s offered to give him a new pair, but he’s refused every time.

After a moment, Artemis says, “Whenever you’re done, Dick and I’ll be in the bedroom.” She starts to head in that direction, not quite confident in knowing how to get to it. She and Wally have been by before, usually for study-and-pizza nights, but never into his room. Dick takes point and leads her down the small hall, passing the bathroom and narrow closet. His place  _ is  _ small, but compared to the dorms they live in, it’s practically  huge .

Snapping out of it, Wally hastily leaves his bag by Artemis’, though he takes the time to carefully untie and pull off his precious, gross Converse.

Once they’re all in the bedroom, they stand around the large queen, unsure how to start this.

Dick opens his mouth, feeling like since it’s his place they’re at, he should be the one to initiate things. But Artemis does it for him, sighing a little and climbing up. The comforter wrinkles up underneath her weight, but it’s hardly a concern, something he only notices because Alfred got him in the habit years ago.

“Come on,” she says, rolling her eyes. With that, she jerks the blankets down and slides under them, reclining against the pillows with her body in the middle of the bed.

Wally doesn’t have to be told twice, and makes his way to the other side. He and Artemis share a brief look,  one Dick can’t quite read , and then he’s joining her. The bright blue covers stand out nicely against their dark shirts, and Dick finds himself shaking his head, trying to focus. 

Two of his best friends laying in his bed, fully dressed, watching him with a twin dare in their eyes? Definitely not weird, and definitely not causing a fluttering in his stomach like he’s a twelve year old.

Stretching out his shoulders one last time, he pulls the blankets up and lays down, the side of his arm pressed against the side of Artemis’.

They’re all quiet for a few moments, before Wally breaks the tension with his usual boisterous self. “This is kind of weird. I mean, isn’t it? Isn’t this a little weird?”

Dick can’t help but laugh. This had been Wally’s idea—cuddling in bed together. It had come after a grueling morning work out, one that had ended with the three of them standing around and feeling so dead on their feet it was  kind of sad . Wally, seeing their dead-eyed stares, had suggested, “We should sleep with each other.”

He’s pretty good at putting his foot in his mouth.

Once it’d been cleared up what he actually meant, Dick had agreed readily, remembering how nice it was to cuddle with people when he was a kid. Artemis took longer to come around, but she had, and it’s lead them to this moment.

Artemis snorts. “What? You weirded out by laying in bed with hot people?”

Wally’s eyes widen, and he leans up on one arm, making the bed dip. Artemis grunts in annoyance and curls into Dick’s side, trying not to slide down. She ends up nearly pressed against him, and he isn’t sure which is more distracting—the warmth of her body, or the incredulous face Wally is making.

“First of all, I’ll have you know I’ve totally been in bed with tons of hot people,” he says, sounding appropriately offended. “And second of all, who says you guys are all that hot, huh?”

Artemis shoots back, pretending to be angry, “Are you saying we’re  _ not _ ?”

“This coming from the guy who got drunk and professed his love for me,” Dick says with faux-sadness, shaking his head.

“That never happened!” Hardly flushing, Wally flops back down onto the bed, making a harrumphing noise.

Artemis doesn’t move away, and okay, yeah, that’s a lot more distracting than Wally’s dumb face, even if he is objectively  _ also  _ hot.

“Did too,” Dick teases.

“Did not!”

“It absolutely did, I have video proof!”

“Oh yeah? Let’s see your  _ doctored  _ proof then,  _ Richard _ —”

“Oh, like Wallace is any better!”

Artemis cuts in before Wally can keep it going, groaning loudly and throwing an arm over her eyes. “Guys, I kind of had something I wanted to talk about that isn’t one of Wally’s many drunken escapades.”

“Yeah?” Dick asks, turning a little and softening his voice. 

Wally mimics him, though he gives Dick a narrow-eyed look and points, clearly willing to give up the argument, but only for now. “What’s up, Artie?”

Still hiding her eyes, she tells them, “I keep thinking about it, and I don’t think I can make it to the Olympics this year.”

She’s been trying for years, but this,  _ this  _ has been the closest she’s ever gotten. All of the training she’s been doing is actually how they all met—she was lifting weights for archery, Wally because he’s a thrower on the track team, and Dick for gymnastics. When she’s not in the gym or class, she’s resting, icing her muscles, or eating protein-rich foods.

It means everything to her, more than Dick can really understand. Gymnastics, and more specifically flying trapeze art, has always been a part of his life. He loves it, of course he does, but it doesn’t fuel him the way archery does for Artemis.

Wally is somewhere in the middle, with track being a large part of his life, shaping his days. But once the season is over, he’s more than happy to relax, focus on other things. He’s the one to ask, “ _ What _ ? Why not?”

“I mean, even if they decide I’m good enough—”

“You  _ are _ ,” both Dick and Wally insist at the same time.

Artemis scoffs, but it’s weak. She knows how good she is, knows how much she deserves the recognition and awards. They tell her all the time just to make sure. “ _ Even if, _ ” she repeats, “the chances of me actually being able to go are, like, non-existent. There’s basically no way my dad will ever let me go.”

“Fuck your dad.” Wally lets out a snort, vicious with intent. He’s the first person Dick has ever met that could pull it off—sarcastic snorts, sure, but vicious ones? That’s all Wally, and usually in reference to Artemis’ shitty dad. Dick reaches over for a fist bump. 

Artemis eyes them both like she thinks they’re stupid, but she’s fighting off a smile, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly. It only lasts a second before she’s sobering. “Look, without him, I can’t afford to go.”

Dick says, “I could—”

“No,” she cuts him off. “You couldn’t.” 

They’re all silent for a moment, and Dick curses himself for asking out loud. The few times they’ve talked about this before, he hasn’t asked, though he’s always thought about it. He’d wanted to offer silently, so Artemis could pretend Wally wouldn’t understand what was being asked. In apology, he softly bumps his fist into her arm.

She does smile this time, small and only a little annoyed. “Either way, I’m not going without my mom, but I don’t really know how her wheelchair would work with flying. I mean, there’s probably a way, but it might cost more money, and I don’t know. Even with that working out, Mom wouldn’t want to leave Jade and Lian here alone. So there’s really nothing I can do, no way I can go.”

Wally latches on to the second part, replying, “It’s not like Jade and Lian would be here alone. She knows that, right? She knows Roy is around and more than capable of helping with his daughter?”

“I mean, yeah, but she’s kind of old-school sometimes. She doesn’t think he’d do a good job of it, I guess.”

“Lame,” Wally says after a moment.

They lay there for a little while longer, nothing much left to say. Dick could be optimistic, could tell Artemis it’ll all work out okay and she’ll get to go and then she’ll win gold, but he knows she doesn’t want to hear it. Not right now, at least. He’ll try tomorrow morning.

“Well,” Wally exhales, more upbeat than a few minutes before. “I think it’s pretty obvious you’re qualified to go. Which, if I do say so myself, is pretty damn impressive.”

Artemis snorts, glancing at him. “Yeah, great. They’ll say I’m wonderful and throw me a complimentary t-shirt on their way to the next person.”

“I can see it now.” Wally throws his hands up, spreading them out in the air like he’s examining something above him. “It’ll say ‘Artemis Crock, best guns this side of the Pacific’.”

“Hey, I’m here too!” Dick complains, leaning onto his side and dramatically flexing an arm. He’s got muscles—the sort of gymnastics and aerial arts he does means he basically requires them—but they’ve got nothing on Artemis’.

They both reach out at the same time to touch his bicep, squeezing appreciatively, and for some reason, a warm feeling spreads in his chest and stomach, sending a small flush into his cheeks.

“I would say I’m jealous, but Artie’s blow yours out of the water, dude.”

Artemis rolls her eyes, but when she says, “God, shut up,” Dick can tell she’s not nearly as annoyed as she probably wants them to think.

“What? It’s true,” Wally defends, but doesn’t push any further. After a moment, he stretches, the bed moving slightly underneath them. “Damn, I think we gotta get up now. Don’t wanna be late.” He makes an exaggeratedly annoyed face, shaking his head and sitting up.

Artemis is quick to follow him, the sheets falling down by her waist. She reaches behind herself and pulls her hair out of its loosened ponytail, cursing as the hair tie pulls on the strands. As she gathers it all up in her hands, Wally climbs out of bed, socked feet quiet on the carpeted floor.

He gets to the doorway, and looks back, eyeing Artemis for a second before turning his gaze to Dick. “You coming, man? Your next class is like all the way across campus, right?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Dick pushes the covers off and gets up, waving Wally back down the hall. To Artemis, he says, “You can just leave the blankets however they are, I’ll fix it later.”

“You’re just gonna end up messing it up again tonight,” she points out.

“Can’t help it,” he shrugs, grinning at her.

Heading down the hall, he listens as Wally roots around in his bag and grumbles to himself about a missing granola bar. He’s on the couch, the bag on the floor between his knees, precious shoes up on the coffee table.

“Lose something?” Dick teases.

“No! I refuse to believe that it’s gone. Wait, wai—AHA!” He lifts his arm and brandishes it in the air, and Dick can’t help but laugh at him. He’s aware of how much Wally has to eat to keep his energy and weight up, but it’s hilarious how he acts like he’ll die without his midday snack. He sets it down gingerly on the table, then gets to work on putting his shoes on. Dick does the same.

Artemis comes into the room a second later, quickly sliding on her sandals and grabbing her bag, which she sets on the couch next to Wally. “You got another one of those?”

“Nope,” Wally says, popping the ‘p’. He finishes tying his laces with a flourish, and bounces to his feet, grinning as Dick slings his backpack over his shoulder. Then he rips open the packaging of his snack, taking a huge bite.

Artemis sighs, rubbing her temples. “Dammit. I really could’ve used the chocolate before I have to go and,” she shudders dramatically, “TA.”

“It’s that bad?” Dick asks, stepping closer. Wally takes another bite, making a ‘mmhmm?’ noise and raising his eyebrows.

Artemis exclaims, “Dick, they’re  _ horrible _ . They don’t care about the class, they don’t do the homework, and they ask, like, a thousand questions.”

“Maybe they just want an excuse to talk to their smoking hot TA?” Wally suggests casually, shrugging.

Artemis and Dick blink at him, then burst into laughter at the very thought. Artemis’ arm comes out to rest on Dick’s shoulder, her head dipping down with amusement. As Dick chuckles, Wally gives them both finger guns, which makes her facepalm. 

“Yeah, right,” she says after they both get their giggles out, wiping her eye. “I seriously doubt that. They’re all just too stupid to read the syllabus, that’s all.”

Dick moves over to the door, opening it up. He can’t resist adding, “I can see the smoking hot part, but c’mon, Walls. They’re  _ freshman _ . They’re either too shy to even try it, or they’re cocky enough they wouldn’t need the excuse.”

Wally rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning. “I guess you’re right. Plus those biceps must be intimidating.”

“Oh god,” Artemis groans, shaking her head exasperatedly. When she pushes him out the door, they’re all laughing again.


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some descriptions of blood in this chapter, but nothing too bad!!

Wally’s innocently laying in bed when it happens.

Well, let him back up a little bit here. It’s Friday afternoon and Wally blissfully has no classes until  _ Tuesday _ . Normally, he would be spending this glorious free time with Dick and Artie, or Roy and Kal, but they’re all busy. Dick has a test, Artemis has a seminar, Kaldur is on his way to visit home for the long weekend, and Roy’s out with Jade and Lian. He has strict instructions not to bother any of them unless it’s a serious life or death emergency.

Knowing how clumsy he can be sometimes, he’s decided to be proactive for once and get homework done. It’s tedious and boring and his mind keeps slipping back to memories of Dick’s bed, of bickering and low-key flirting. But, heh, he flirts with everyone, so it’s fine. Totally fine. Nothing at all to see there. And he needs to stop thinking about it and return to his stupid English homework.

As he’s answering the stupid questions—he cannot express how much he does not care about freaking  _ The Tempest _ , and he can’t in large part because it’s fried his brain—the only one of his roommates who also stayed in today, Conner, comes to stand in the doorway.

Immediately taking the distraction offered, Wally looks up from the work in his lap. “’Sup, dude?”

“Are you really doing homework right now?” Conner smirks.

Wally moves his stuff over to his desk, which is stupidly close to his bed because their suite is about as big as a cardboard box. Stretching out his legs, he raises an eyebrow and counters, “Yeah, and?”

“You’re wasting a perfectly good Friday on  _ homework _ .”

“Excuse me, I’m not wasting anything. I’m being  _ smart _ . Because of this, I’ll only be like 130% stressed on Monday, which is better than the usual 187%.” With feeling, he says, “That’s progress, man. And we appreciate any and all progress in this house.”

Conner steps into the room, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. “Right, yeah. Can you do it later? I want to go and get something to eat before everyone else gets out of class.”

And really, who’s Wally to say no to that? “You gonna buy it?”

“You know, the animal shelter doesn’t actually pay me.”

“Duh, why would they pay you when you literally only go there for one dog?”

Playfully, Conner rushes forward and grabs Wally’s ankle, jostling him around. Except, Wally’s in the middle of swinging his legs over the side of the bed the second before Conner grabs him. Meaning that, with one foot pinned, when Wally moves, he’s thrown off balance, forward momentum and speed sending him careening nowhere he meant to go.

His face hits the desk with a painful crunch, and then to really put the cherry on top of it all, Conner lets go of his ankle, and Wally falls right onto the floor.

“Oh shit,” Conner mumbles, hurrying over to Wally’s side. His hands hover nervously. “I didn’t mean for—Are you alright?”

Wally pushes himself up with one hand, the other reaching gingerly to feel around his nose. His fingers slide wetly on his chin, and when they move up, he can’t help but let out a groan of pain. Yup, definitely broken. It’s not the first time he’s broken a bone, but somehow never in his  _ face  _ before.

“Ow,” Wally says, very belatedly.

“Is it broken?” Conner asks, gazing intently at Wally’s nose.

“I think so.” He has to resist the urge to spit out the blood that’s both on and in his mouth. “Um, can you help me up, dude?”

Conner does, gently pulling him to his feet and then escorting him to the bathroom. Wally wads up toilet paper under his nostrils, but can’t press at all without shooting pain stabbing through his face and also his brain. Every noise he makes ratchets Conner’s nerves up higher and higher, until finally, his roommate is tugging on his arm, saying, “I’m taking you to the ER.”

Even though it’ll cost money he doesn’t really have, even though he hates hospitals, Wally just can’t find it within himself to protest.

Several hours later, he stumbles through the door to the suite, Dick right behind him. Artemis stepped through first, and waits until they’re both in before closing it up and locking it.

“C’mon, man, let’s get you into bed,” Dick says, coming up beside him and pressing their sides together. It’s nice and warm and Wally lets himself enjoy the way it makes his stomach swoop pleasantly. Artemis takes up his other side, her hand brushing over Dick’s on his back.

“Sorry again,” Conner says, going ahead to open Wally’s door. He’s been apologizing a lot, but Wally knows he didn’t do it on purpose—he was just messing around. It happens, and he’s told his roommate that several times, but it’s just not sticking.

“S’all good!” Wally’s voice is weirdly high-pitched, but he hardly notices, more concerned with the smell of Artemis’ body wash. It’s  _ so close _ . God, she smells good. And so does Dick. They both smell great. He’s pretty sure he smells like hospital and blood, which is just straight up gross.

But whatever, really. If they can deal with him after an hour at the gym, they can deal with anything.

Dick lets him go at the door, heading back the way they came with Conner. Wally vaguely hears him asking about where they wash their clothes. It seems like a weird question, but Wally doesn’t dwell on it.

Artemis helps him over to the bed, watching as he sits on the edge. A pulse of pain hits him, and he drops his head to his hands, wincing when he almost smacks himself right on the nose.

Artemis coughs, failing to hide a laugh, which he is totally gonna be upset about later. “You’re an idiot,” she tells him fondly. Then she sits down in his desk chair and pulls one of his legs up so his foot is resting in her lap.

“What’re you doin’?” He asks. It comes out thick and slurred this time, and it kind of shocks him. Broken noses shouldn’t change his voice that much, should they?

“Protecting your bed from your stupid shoes,” she replies, pulling on the laces and untying it, pulling it off and setting it on an empty spot on the desk. Soon enough, the other one joins it.

Dick walks in, grinning when Artemis quips, “Look, they have a special spot just for them.”

She’s wrong—their special spot is actually the bottom left drawer, which he basically never used for anything else, anyway—but he decides not to comment on it for now. It’s good enough for the night.

“Oh, Wally, what are we gonna do with you?” Theatrically, he sighs and shakes his head. “Come on, lay down.”

Chuckling, Wally struggles to do it, a head rush forcing him to pause. His laughter dies out as he blinks hard.

“Do you seriously need help laying down?” Artemis asks, raising an eyebrow.

A little testily, “I’m not an invalid.”

“Aren’t you?” But she does help him, tugging the sheets out from under him so it’s easier to move. Dick fluffs the pillows, and a few years ago, maybe he would’ve been embarrassed by how thin they are, how cheap. Now, he knows Dick doesn’t care, and gives his friend an appreciative smile as he lays down on them. Wally  _ has  _ to let out a groan of relief; nothing feels better than being back in his own bed and relaxing. The past few hours have been anything but.

“Good?” Dick asks with a laugh.

“Oh yeah, dude.”  _ But hey _ , he thinks, finishing the thought out loud. “It’d be better if I weren’t alone, though. Like, just saying.”

“It’s a twin bed, Wally,” Dick says, sounding skeptical.

Thank god, Artemis has no such compunctions. Kicking off her shoes, it’s no time at all before she nudges him, saying, “Move over.” There’s hardly enough space, but he manages it enough that she climbs in next to him, on her side while he’s on his back. 

God, she still smells so good. He sinks even further down into the mattress, but doesn’t immediately pass out like he wants to. It’s not right, not yet—Dick isn’t with them.

“C’mon,” he says, patting the sliver of bed on his free side. “ _ Joooooiiiiin usssss _ .”

Dick does, but not the way Wally wants. He sits down on the edge by their feet. Artemis pokes his side with her foot, snatching it back before he can retaliate.

“Not good enough,” she tells him. “You gotta lay down.”

“There’s no room,” he protests immediately. “If I lay down, I’ll fall out of bed too, and then it’ll be another trip to the ER for all of us.”

“Nah, I’d stay here,” Wally teases. But he really does want Dick to lay down with them. “I’ll turn on my side, and it should be good, okay?”

Dick sighs, “Wally—”

It takes a lot longer than he would like, but he does end up on his side, back to Artemis. He feels her breathe against his neck, an exhaled puff of air, and then she’s pulling him closer, an arm secure around his waist. Her fingers tuck a little under his stomach, holding him to her.

It feels weird. It feels intimate and kind and sort of intense and strange and just… _ good _ . Her body’s warm against his own, soft and something. He likes it, more than he probably should, but whatever. It’s fine. They’re friends and friends cuddle, don’t they? Yeah. So that’s what this is—friendly cuddling that he wouldn’t mind doing again. That’s all. 

Dick gives in. He bends down to pull off his shoes, the bed dipping underneath him. Once that’s done, he finally joins them, pressed up almost as close to Wally as Artemis is. This stupid bed really isn’t meant to fit three grown adults on it, even if Artemis and Dick are both pretty small, all things considered.

After a moment of what seems like hesitation, Dick reaches an uncertain arm around Wally’s waist, coming to rest beside Artemis’. 

“Mm.” He can’t help the noise. He just can’t. Being cuddled from both sides by some of his best friends in the world, who smell really good and who rushed to the hospital when they heard what happened, it’s amazing. Amazing and comforting and relaxing and great. Every positive adjective there is, seriously.

Maybe they laugh at him for it, just a little bit, but whatever. He’s fine with that.

They’re silent for a while, just breathing. Wally is the one to break it, suddenly blurting out, “Wait, shit, I need to call and tell Barry and Iris. They’ll be upset if I don’t let them know what happened.”

“Just sleep,” Artemis mumbles, her forehead coming to rest against Wally’s shoulder blade. “Today’s been exhausting, and you’re taken care of. It won’t hurt anything or anyone if they find out in the morning and not right now.”

“But—”

“Listen to her, man,” Dick advises, looking him right in the eyes. They’re so close, there’s basically nowhere else  _ to  _ look. Damn, when did Dick’s eyes get so pretty? He’ll have to let him know about that in the morning.

Wally groans. “I mean, yeah, you’re right, Artie, but listen, I told them like a hundred times that if anything happens, I’ll call and let them know ASAP and—”

“ASAP can be in the morning.”

She’s right, and he knows it, but still. It doesn’t feel right, not telling them. They’re his family, in a different way from how Artemis and Dick are. Though, he  _ is  _ being taken care of, so maybe it’s okay if he waits? And he is really tired. Like, stupidly so.

“Ugh, fine,” he acquiesces. “But when Aunt Iris gets mad, I’m totally ratting you guys out.”


	3. Part Three

“Bruce,” Dick says, feeling on edge. Which is ridiculous, and only mostly because Dick is at college several states away. It’s not like Bruce is going to come rushing over here. At least, if he did, Dick would have enough time to get away first. But that’s stupid and not going to happen, and even if he did come, Dick has no reason to leave.

Things are awkward and tense between them, but not so badly that Dick actually needs to run away from the man.

“Dick,” Bruce greets, equally cautious. For some reason, it irritates Dick. He shouldn’t be so nervous to talk to the kid he raised. “How are you?”

Dick leans back in his desk chair, wondering how best to answer that. Should he be honest and admit he’s dangerously close to two inappropriate crushes? … No. No, that’s never going to happen. He and Bruce don’t talk about feelings.

“I’m fine. Keeping my grades up, making friends, all that. Same as the last few times you called.”

“Yes, I can see that. Gone to any parties lately?” He sounds deceptively innocent, like he’s actually curious about how Dick spends his time. 

Internally, Dick scoffs. Wondering why the man is even pretending to care, Dick tells him, sharper than he’d like, “No, no parties. I’m not actually trying to throw away all the money you’re spending on me, you know.”

Okay, so that didn’t take long.

Bruce sighs. He’s probably already rubbing at his temples like Dick is giving him a headache just by existing or something. “I wasn’t trying to imply…that. I was just asking.”

“Just asking,” Dick repeats slowly. “Right.”

They’re both silent for a long moment, waiting for the other to take the bait. Dick has to bite his cheek so he doesn’t add something about how Bruce is never just  _ asking _ . How he wouldn’t know how to just ask things even if it were life and death.

Finally, Bruce says, “Yes. Well. How’s the apartment?”

“It’s nice. Roomy, but that’s a good thing. You wouldn’t believe how small the dorms are here.” He’s putting on an air of comfort, talking like how he used to, but if it’ll get them through this conversation quicker, he’s willing to do it. 

“That’s good,” is the awkward response. “Jason said when he goes off to college, he wants to live in dorms. You’ll have to convince him otherwise.”

That didn’t take long either.

“I’ll try,” Dick says, trying to hide how he really feels about that.

Jason is a cute kid, and Dick likes him well enough, even giving him his phone number so they can talk.  _ And bond _ , Roy says every time this comes up.  _ You gotta bond with the kid, Dick. _

That’s not the issue, though. The issue is Bruce—more specifically, Bruce adopting Jason. Which has already happened, even though Jason’s only been around a year. Dick’s been around for over ten, and yet here he is, no legal ties to anyone at all. Not adopted.

“How is he?” Dick tries.

Bruce launches into what Dick can only describe as a proud explanation of how wonderful Jason is at literally everything. He’s made friends with a girl named Rose, he’s top of his English class, he’s learning to drive, he’s helping Alfred without having to be told. He’s practically Bruce’s perfect little angel. Better than Dick in every way. And okay, maybe Bruce isn’t saying that, but it’s not hard to tell. Did he ever talk like this about Dick? Did he ever proudly tell someone about Dick’s high school achievements?

Has he ever called Dick his  _ son _ ?

Dick used to think of them that way—that Bruce was something like his dad, and he was something like the man’s son. He knows better now, though.

It hurts to think about, so he forces himself to stop, forces himself to focus back on the conversation. He can compartmentalize and ignore his feelings. It’s one of the things Bruce taught him that have actually stuck around.

Eventually, Bruce stops. He hesitates before going on, and Dick wonders if he realizes he just talked for fifteen minutes without pause. About  _ Jason _ . “I’ve got to go soon.”

“Okay,” Dick says.

“Was…was there anything else? That you wanted to tell me?”

_ I hate you for making me feel this way. _

“Nope, that was it. Unless there’s something else about Jason you’re just bursting with pride over.”

There’s another sigh, and the sound of it is loud in his ears. “Dick—”

“Yeah, okay. Bye.”

And he hangs up.

And he sits there for twenty minutes, staring out the window and tapping his phone on his desk, carefully not thinking about anything at all.

Shaking himself out of it, he ignores the few texts Bruce has sent, the missed call from Alfred, and texts the groupchat between Artemis, Wally, and himself.  _ Need a cuddle sesh _ , he says, glad that they’re getting more comfortable with the whole thing. It’s obvious his friends need it, and he won’t deny it helps him, too. It’s nice to lay down with them, two people he trusts and cares about and loves, and just relax. Just be.

The only downside, really, is that it’s difficult to be around them and not notice things. Like how bright Artemis’ rare smiles are, and how her ponytail swings when she gets really animated, and how every once in a while, she grabs his hand and doesn’t say anything. Like how Wally says stupid things sometimes just to make them laugh, and how he knows their exact favorite flavors of things, and how much he loves science and math. Like how Dick is totally, and pretty inappropriately, starting to crush on them both big time.

So far, he’s been trying the good ole method of ignoring it until it goes away. But if anything, it’s just gotten worse—yesterday, over coffee, Artemis made a joke so funny, Wally snorted his frappe through his nose. Instead of being disgusted, Dick’s heart had started beating like mad, and he’d had the thought,  _ They’re adorable. _

It makes no sense. He’s never had thoughts like these before—he’s had crushes, sure, but this feels more serious, like it’s obvious to everyone around him. He thinks maybe Roy knows. Roy notices everything.

Shit, he’s gonna have to talk to Roy about this, isn’t he?

Wally texting back distracts him from the horror that thought brings, thank god.  _ After class @ ur place? _

_ Sounds good _ , Artemis sends, not waiting for Dick to agree or not.

Still, he replies,  _ Perfect. Thanks guys _ , and then heads off to make sure everything is clean. They’ve both seen him at his messiest points, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to force them to endure his actual mess. A part of him that’s been heavily influenced by Alfred revolts at the thought of them having to walk over underwear he was too lazy to throw in the hamper.

Cleaning helps him keep his mind off the phone call, and by the time their classes are out and they’re knocking at his door, the apartment looks better than it has in weeks. His books are on the shelves the way they should be, all the dishes are put away or in the washer, and he even got around to putting up some of the pictures he’s collected. He’s in all of them, one with Ace, one with his childhood friends Donna and Garth, one with Roy, Kal, Conner, and Zatanna. Of course, there’s his favorite—the one of Artemis, Wally, and himself from M’gann’s birthday last year. 

They’re in the foreground, grinning brightly and drunkenly at the camera, while the background is alive with blurry motion. When he’d first shown it to Artemis, a few days after the party, she’d smirked and said to him, “We looked really good that night, didn’t we?”

“Hell yeah we did,” Wally had replied, blinking blearily at the essay in front of him.

The memory makes him smile. God, they’re both great.

He doesn’t waste anymore time before going to let them in, and he can tell they weren’t expecting him to be outwardly happy like this. After all, he only ever asks for cuddle sessions whenever he’s feeling upset about something.

Artemis steps in first, briefly hugging him before she moves to let Wally in. Wally’s hug is tighter than Artemis’, but doesn’t last much longer. “You okay?” He asks, the look on his face serious and concerned.

With Wally in front of him, Artemis at his side, both seeming expectant for an answer but not judgingly so, it’s easy for Dick to say, “For the most part, yeah. Just…B called.”

“And talked a bunch about Jason?” Artemis clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “He really needs to get a clue.”

“Seriously,” Wally adds. He moves around them to get to the living room, settling down on the couch to take off his shoes. 

Once he’s out of eyesight, Artemis reaches out and rests her hand on Dick’s arm, giving it a small squeeze. He smiles back, comforted by the gesture. Then they join Wally.

A few minutes later, sans shoes, they head to Dick’s room. Wally nudges him until he gets on the bed first, settling in the middle. Artemis and Wally fill in the sides, enjoying the big mattress and the room it allows all of them.

“Sooooo,” Wally says once they’re all comfortable. “What happened?”

Dick explains the call to them, glad to have confided in them before. It helps to have people who know everything, all the background details. They can appreciate the situation better this way, and more than that, it makes him feel known, less alone.

Rubbing his eyes, he says, “And I just started torturing myself, wondering if he’s ever thought of me as his son, or if I’m just that first kid he took in, the one that led him to adopting Jason. I know, I know, we all agreed I shouldn’t think that way, and it doesn’t help anything, and it’s probably not true anyway, but it’s just so hard to listen to him sing this kid’s praises when he never did that for me.”

Artemis plays with the hem of the blanket while he talks, and once he slows to a stop, she looks  up. “I’m sure he did,” she says, managing to sound comforting. “He just wouldn’t do it in front of you.”

“Yeah, he’s an emotionless robot, remember?” Wally jokes, gently poking Dick’s arm. “Jason might even feel the same way you do.”

Dick snorts, “I doubt it.”

Artemis points out, “You’ll never know unless you ask.”

“I guess.” He doesn’t  _ want  _ to ask Jason, though. Doesn’t want to come off like he’s desperate for Bruce’s affection.

“If it makes you feel any better, I looked into how Mom could go with me if I get into the Olympics, and while it turns out she can, my dad flat out said no. Said it would give her too many ideas, or something.”

“Your dad is a misogynistic asshole,” Wally says. “When you get accepted and have to go, I’ll go home with you and distract him while you guys leave.”

“I’ll come too,” Dick offers, nudging her with his arm. She laughs at them, and it warms him all over. It’s a good feeling, and it washes some of the angst inside him away. “We can be the Shitty Dad Coalition. Our services include spiriting you guys away to a great opportunity in a foreign country.”

“Hey, I thought we agreed Barry is my honorary dad.”

“The only one that matters,” Artemis agrees. “You can be the honorary member of the Shitty Dad Coalition, then.”

“ _ Niiiiice _ ,” Wally says, purposefully making himself sound douchey. It never fails to get a laugh out of them both. “Hey, speaking of, you wanna hear what the kiddos are up to these days? When I was telling Iris about my nose the other day, she told me the twins have officially discovered how to open doors by themselves, and needless to say, it’s absolute hell there. Barry said he’s getting a vasectomy immediately.”

As Wally goes on, Dick reflects on how good he is at telling stories. And at distracting them from all the things that hurt. Without taking a moment to think about it, he slips his hands into theirs, squeezing gently. Artemis squeezes back, but Wally just offers him a grin before continuing on.


	4. Part Four

Artemis steps into the apartment, so exhausted from all the essays, homework packets, and classes she’s had to do in the past few hours that she could honestly fall asleep right there. Even the good news she received earlier isn’t enough to make her feel better right now.

Dick’s there in the kitchen, washing the dishes, but she ignores him and sets her stuff down on the coffee table. Her shoes are kicked off into the corner, and she grabs the TV remote before flopping down onto the couch. She turns on some trashy show that Wally pretends to hate. He watches it so often, she’s actually gotten into the plot of it—she needs to be mad at him about that later.

Very later.

She spends a few minutes decompressing into the cushions before Dick joins her, lifting her heels up so he can sit, then resting them back in his lap. Absentmindedly, he starts to rub at the muscles around her ankles, something they’ve both done for Wally many times. Usually, for her, it’s her arms and back, and for Dick, his shoulders and hips. This is nice, though—really nice, if she’s being honest.

It probably helps a lot that it’s Dick who’s doing it, too. She trusts him, likes him (more than she should, but now isn’t the time to think about that), and he’s practically got magic fingers. Also, he doesn’t ask how her day went—he doesn’t need to, can see clear as day how shitty it was. 

When Wally walks in a few minutes later, using the key Dick got him a week ago—he’d got two made, one for Wally and one for her—he’s whistling what sounds like an old pop song. He calls out to Dick, asking, “Artie here yet?”

“Can’t you see me?” She asks, not bothering to sit up. 

He comes around the side of the couch, eyes dragging down her frame. Usually, being checked out so obviously pisses her off, but it’s different with him. She thinks she sees a spark of something, but he smothers it, turning more towards Dick. “The back of your couch is hella high, man,” he says, not waiting for a reply before he walks off again. 

Artemis is tempted to whisper to Dick, ask if he saw it too—but when she looks at him, all she sees is Dick watching Wally walk away. Having no desire to open any cans of beans right now, she sighs and decides she’ll just talk to Zatanna about it later, before bed. 

She turns back to the show, vaguely aware of Wally coming back and settling on the floor next to Dick’s legs. When he leans his head back, his hair tickles her legs, but she doesn’t move them. Dick and Wally talk while Wally eats something obnoxiously loudly, and Artemis finds herself almost nodding off, more comfortable than she’d expect to be.

These are her guys, though, so maybe she should’ve expected it. 

Dick laughing wakes her up a bit, brings her back to the surface. “We should go lie down, I think,” he says to Wally, who agrees through a yawn.

She drifts as they decide whether or not to make her walk. Only for a moment, though. The thought of one of them carrying her and her not being fully awake to feel it isn’t one she likes. 

Together, they move to Dick’s bed, Artemis slipping into the middle again. Once they’re in with her, it feels so normal, so comfortable, she can’t resist settling all the way into a nap.

A few hours later, she wakes to find Dick snoring slightly, and Wally cursing quietly at his phone. When she turns, she sees he’s playing some game, one he wipes out on all the time. “Didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No,” she says, yawning. “How’s it going?”

“About as well as it sounds. It’s kicking my ass,” he whines.

“Lemme try.” She reaches out for it, and he hands his phone over easily, tucking closer to see the screen better. It takes a few false starts for her to figure out the rules of the game, but then it clicks, and she gets going, passing where Wally was getting stuck. 

“Yes, yes, Artemis, fuck yes! You’re amazing,” he praises as she finishes the level for him.

“The hell is goin’ on?” Dick mumbles, rolling over and throwing his arm over Artemis’ stomach, hand landing on Wally’s waist. 

“She just won that level I’ve been stuck on for  _ days _ , dude,” Wally replies, apparently unaware of what they must’ve sounded like to Dick. “Thanks, by the way.”

She attempts an unaffected shrug, but it’s hard when they’re both so close. “No biggie.”

Should she tell them about her news now? To change the subject, make things a little less awkward? Is it even awkward for them, or is she alone in this feeling? Ugh.

Deciding to wait until Dick is a little more awake, they lay there for a while longer, watching Wally play and cheering him on. The bed is warm and  _ she’s  _ warm, almost uncomfortably so, but she doesn’t tell them to move away. Doesn’t say a damn thing. It’s nice to just be with them, no obligations hanging over their heads for the rest of the night.

Dick doesn’t move his arm, but she can feel that he’s tense, like he’s not sure of what he’s doing, why it’s there.

Again, Artemis doesn’t say a thing about it.

Wally tells them in bits and pieces about his updated training plan, attention waning in and out as the game requires his attention. She and Dick hum instead of actually trying to engage him—they both know he won’t retain anything. Once he’s done, he lays his phone down on the bedside table, stretching out like a cat. Then he relaxes back into the bed, and they lay there for a little while longer, breathing quietly together.

Eventually, she says, “Oh, hey, I wanted to let you guys know—I got a call from an Olympics recruiter this morning.”

They both freeze for a second before exploding with praise and excitement, and she’s dragging up into sitting so they can both hug her at the same time. Laughing, she explains how she’d been woken up by the call, and when she’d heard who the person was, she bolted up, wide awake.

Grinning, she tells them, “She said she’s going to call me back next week to discuss travel and guests and everything. But I’m definitely in.”

“What about—?” Dick starts, cutting himself almost immediately at the look Artemis gives him. He mimes zipping up his mouth and throwing away the key—saying he gets it. No bullshit dad drama right now.

“Dude, we have to buy tickets,” Wally says to them both. “How much do you think those things go for, anyway? I have some money saved up but I might have to get another job before it’s time.”

A little shocked, she asks, “Wally, you know you don’t have to go, right?”

“Ah! Stop it, missy, I absolutely do have to go. You’re my girl!” He says it so easily, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Like the way he’s worded it means nothing of note. “I have to go and support you, and I know Dickie here feels the same way.”

“Don’t call me Dickie,” Dick says on autopilot, staring wide-eyed at their friend. He clears his throat, then, shaking his head. She wonders why—is he upset Wally called her his girl? Is he upset because he’s into Wally? Or is he upset because…nevermind. That’s impossible. He’d never be into her like that, and that’s just a fact.

Dick slings his arm around her shoulders, leaning against her. “He’s right, though. Of course we’re gonna go and support you. You deserve it.”

Pretending to be defeated, she gives in and heaves a sigh. “Fine, fine, you two can come, I guess. And watch me annihilate my competitors.”

“Hell yeah,” Wally says in agreement, with the air of someone giving a toast. “You’re gonna crush them all, Artie. And me and Dick, we’re gonna be so loud in the stands, they’ll have to ask us to leave.”

Dick chuckles at that, head tipping back with the movement. Artemis doesn’t look at his neck no matter how much she wants to. “I don’t know about all that,” he says to Wally, shaking his head. “If we get kicked out, we won’t be able to see her win her awards.”

“Awards?” Artemis repeats, stressing the plural.

“ _ Duh _ ,” they say as one.

Eventually, they wind down again, laying against the pillows. It’s only once she’s staring up at the ceiling instead of one of their faces that she feels comfortable enough to speak. “Honestly, once the Olympics are over… I don’t know what I’ll do with my life. It’s always been my goal, and I haven’t thought past it that much, so once I achieve it,” she sighs, “I’ll have to find a new goal. That’s like a year away at least, but it already sounds exhausting.”

“Tell me about it,” Wally groans, rubbing at his eyes. “You two know I wanna be a forensic scientist like Barry, but soon enough, I’m gonna have to pick where I go. And I mean, I could pick Happy Harbor, ‘cause you guys and all the rest of my friends live here. Or I could go with Central City so I can see my family, but then I won’t be  _ Wally West, forensic scientist _ , I’ll be  _ Wally West, Barry Allen’s nephew _ . I don’t want to be known for him, I want to be known for me.”

“You could pick a different city all together,” Dick suggests. “Somewhere in between, maybe.”

“Is that what you’re going to do?” Artemis asks.

He shakes his head. “No. I mean, not really. I think once we all graduate, I’m going to Blüdhaven. If I’m going to be a social worker, I want to do it in a city that really needs help, and there’s nowhere better—or worse, I guess—than there.”

“It’s right next to Gotham,” Wally says, pointing out what they’re all thinking. “You’re gonna be really close to you-know-who. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

“I can’t avoid him forever.”

“Except that you absolutely can,” Artemis replies, honestly a little shocked to hear Dick say that. “You don’t owe him anything, there’s no legal tie between you two, and you’ve never wanted to stick around him. Not in all the time we’ve known you.”

Dick is quiet for a moment. “Then it can be for Jason. It’s not his fault Bruce is an asshole, or that he and I don’t really get along. Plus, Blüdhaven will hopefully feel enough like home that I won’t actually have to go back to Gotham.”

“You lived in Bristol, not Gotham, dude,” Wally says, briefly joking. He sobers. “I’m not gonna stop you, of course not, but like. I don’t know if this is the best idea.”

“Yeah, why not Detroit or something? The kids there need help too. Or Fawcett City?”

“LA?” Wally suggests. 

“New York City?”

With a sigh, Dick says, “No, no, it has to be Blüdhaven.”

“Okay,” Artemis and Wally acquiesce at the same time. She doesn’t want to push, not when she didn’t let him do it earlier. It’s just not fair.

They all fall silent after that, unsure of what to say next. Eventually Dick speaks. “It’s late. If you guys want to go back home, you can, or you can stay here. I don’t care either way, but I’m exhausted so I’m gonna go back to sleep.” He snuggles back into the sheets, turning his back to them. For some reason, it feels like a more dramatic move than it probably is intended to be. Over his shoulder, he says, “Congrats again, Artie.”

“Thanks,” she replies, voice weirdly raspy. Trying to ignore it, she lays back down, soon followed by Wally. 

“Guess we’re having a sleepover,” he remarks.

Artemis quirks the corner of her mouth up at him. “Guess so.”

She falls asleep before anything else is said.

Her dream is weirdly vivid, centered in a house that feels intimately familiar though she’s positive she’s never been to it before. The room that feels like hers is large, the bed even bigger than Dick’s, and there’s clutter everywhere that she can only sort of make out. The walls are covered in picture frames, and when she looks at them, she sees herself and her boys—Dick and Wally.

Wally comes into the room then, and he lights up at the sight of her. She smiles back, pleased to see him, and when he leans in and kisses her, she thinks nothing of it. It’s normal, her dream self thinks, and deepens it, pulling him closer and closer.

Eventually, he pulls away, and he’s laughing, but it’s not mocking. “Did you miss me? I wasn’t gone that long, was I?”

“I always miss you,” she says. It feels weird to say, making her more vulnerable than she’d like, but also truer than anything else in the world. “You and Dick get out of work so much later than I do, and it’s boring here alone.”

“We’ll just have to get a dog, then, won’t we?” He suggests, going to the closet. Stripping out of his clothes, he looks older, lean and comfortable. Artemis finds the sight of him beautiful and nothing new. “I’ve only been suggesting that for, like, years.”

“No dogs!” A voice calls from the hall, one that Artemis is very familiar with. Dick pops his head in, and he’s undressed, too, a button up hanging open and revealing his chest. “Artie, babe, if you’re lonely here, you could always go and visit Jade and Roy, you know that. And I can try to get home earlier, but you know how bad those kids need me….”

“I know,” she sighs. Then she walks over to Dick, and she kisses him, too. Deep and feeling. And for a second, Artemis is worried Wally will see—they’re together in this dream, aren’t they? Why else would she kiss him?—but then the thought goes away. He’s still in the closet, and anyway, she thinks casually, he’s with Dick too. It’s fine.

Wait, what?

Dick slips past her to the closet, where he pulls Wally out and moves right into a kiss. It’s as deep as the ones she shared with the both of them, just as loving and emotional, too. It feels right and normal and there’s no jealousy in her at all.

When she wakes up, she’s smiling. But then the dream comes crashing back to her, and she forces it away, not wanting to entertain things she can’t have. 

Beside her, Dick is snoring and Wally is smashing his face into his pillow, both still totally asleep and unaware of her thoughts. Just the way it should be, if you ask her.


	5. Part Five

“So,” Roy says, leaning forward in his seat. “This meeting is officially started.”

“You’re a nerd,” Artemis tells him, and Wally doesn’t bother hiding his snort. He loves them both, of course he does, but he’s always enjoyed teasing Roy. It’s even better when someone else does it for him.

“I am not a nerd,” he shoots back, only pretending to be offended. “I just feel it’s important that we stay updated on each other’s lives as much as we can. And this is kind of like a meeting, so yeah, I’m calling it one.”

“A meeting where we divulge how much our lives suck,” Kaldur says. “Wonderful idea, Roy. Why don’t you start?”

“It’s not—ugh, fine. My life doesn’t suck right now at all, thank you very much. School is killing me, but Lian said her first word a few days ago so really, I’m great.”

“Aww, what was it?” Zatanna asks.

“She said ‘dada’,” Dick replies, his whole face soft. He really loves that kid, Wally thinks. But it’s not like Wally doesn’t love her too.  Being that she’s the only child born to anyone in the friend group, she’s adored by them all, and she loves them all right back. Pretty good set up if you ask Wally. “It was adorable, guys. She just looked right up at him and said it.”

“And I assume Roy cried,” Artemis says, nudging Dick with her elbow. 

“Like a baby,” Dick replies, grinning.

M’gann interjects, “Stop teasing him, you two! A baby’s first words are special, and it’s understandable he’d be overwhelmed with emotion because of it.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure it had nothing to do with the word being ‘dada’ instead of, oh, ‘mama’ or something.” Zatanna laughs at the look Roy gives her.

“’Something’ would be an amazing first word,” Wally jokes. “Little Lian would have to be certified with genius then and there.”

Conner rolls his eyes. “Roy’s already halfway down that path anyway.”

“Okay, okay, why did this turn into make fun of Roy night?” Roy grumbles, though Wally can tell he’s not nearly as annoyed as he wants them to think. 

“Officially, it’s not, but we can certainly change that. Who’s with me?” Kaldur asks, raising his drink in the air.

Wally immediately raises his own, followed by the others, giggles filling the room. They don’t mean any harm, and Roy knows it.

“Yuck it up,” Roy sighs, giving in. “I’ll just take all my beer back home and drink it by myself, then.”

“When you die of alcohol poisoning, can I have your PlayStation?”

“ _ Seriously _ , Wally?” Roy demands, cracking up. “No. No, just because of that, I’m giving it to Conner.”

“Why not me?” Dick asks, sounding honestly offended.

Kaldur laughs and adds, “Or me? Your best friend. Who gets more use out of that machine than Conner ever will.”

“Hey, it’s mine! Back off.” Conner playfully bares his teeth at them like he’s really ready to fight for it.

“It’s not yours until Roy’s gone,” Zatanna says. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“I’m not giving it to either of you assholes because you’re both taking great pleasure in teasing me. Actually, you know what, I’m not giving it to Conner—it’s going to M’gann.”

“What?” Several people, Wally included, screech. It’s less out of outrage and more out of amused shock.

“That’s not fair!” Dick shakes his fist jokingly. 

They joke around for a while longer. Eventually Zatanna and M’gann succumb to Roy’s idea, telling the rest of them about how their lives are going. Wally pays attention as best as he can, but he keeps getting distracted by how Artemis has her legs slung over Dick’s, foot tapping the air by Dick’s shin. His hand is on her knee, and Wally can hardly look away, some weird, inexplicable feeling swirling around inside him.

He thinks maybe he wants to be the one touching her there. Or he wants Dick to rest his hand on Wally’s knee instead of Artemis’. Or maybe some mix of the two. Yeah, that would be good.

Conner talks about how he’s been, and then Kaldur gives in and updates them all.

“Artie, you next,” M’gann says once Kal’s all done talking about his fish tank and how hard it is to clean it. “What’s new?”

“Well, you guys all already know I’m headed for the Olympics,” Artemis replies. “Hmm, what else? I tried some of those disgusting poptarts Dick likes so much, and it turns out they only taste, like, three quarters as bad as they seem.”

While her words get a laugh, Zatanna leans forward and gives her a teasing look. “Bo-ring. Have you met any guys lately?”

“Just more freshies,” Artemis sighs. She takes a sip of her drink, which has been steadily drained as the night has worn on.

“Okaaaay…. Any you have your eye on?”

Artemis pauses for a second, and it’s weird, Wally thinks, to see her hesitate. That’s not how she usually rolls. Eventually she says, “Yeah, there’s—somebody I’m interested in, I guess you could say. Have been for a while. Not a freshman, though."

The others, barring him and Dick, immediately pounce on the opportunity to tease her. They ask about this mysterious someone, what they look like, how she knows them. Artemis deals with it coolly, giving frustratingly vague answers to some questions and ignoring others. What she does say seems almost contradictory, but he’s not paying  _ that  _ close of attention. 

Wally picks at the label of his beer, unable to decide if he feels more annoyed or apathetic by the whole thing. Her dating life is her business, and he’ll never pressure her about stuff, but she usually tells them when she has crushes. He and Dick have heard about all of them, from freshman year when she was infatuated with Zatanna, all the way to this past summer when she couldn’t take her eye off Raquel. But whoever this is, he’s never heard of them, and it seems like Dick hasn’t either, seeing as he’s listening with rapt attention, the corners of his mouth pinched. So maybe Wally’s not exactly apathetic, just…conflicted. Yeah, that sounds good. 

This person seems like a handful, anyway. Somehow even worse than Wally, which he likes to assume—and is often told—isn’t even possible.

Loud, annoying, intense. Secretive, always hungry, reserved at times. Whoever they are, they sound like a horror show.

“Come on, please? I just want to know who he is!” M’gann whines.

“So you can stalk them on the internet? No thanks. They have enough of that in their real life.”

“You can’t even give us a hint?” Roy asks, cajoling. It doesn’t work on Artemis, which isn’t really that surprising. 

Smirking, she looks around the room. Her eyes skip over Dick, but for some reason, when she gets to Wally, she pauses. Blinks. Keeps going. “No.”

What was that? He takes a drink and stops thinking about it.  She’s into some mystery person, not him. That’s silly.

“Lame,” Zatanna says like she’s booing. But none of them push any more, though Wally can see clear as day that Dick wants to. He’s always been like a dog with a bone, a detective with a lead—once he’s curious about something, he won’t give it up until he’s done with, until he knows everything there is to know. 

People matter more to him, though. Usually he won’t cross lines to get the information he wants. It’s nice, something Wally admires about him.

“What about you, then, Dick?” Conner asks. 

Dick shrugs, relaxing a little against the couch in a way that seems staged. “I’m doing fine. Classes are fine, family’s okay, grades aren’t shit yet.”

“Mmhmm,” Kaldur hums, grinning. “And on the more romantic front?”

“If you’re asking if I’m interested in someone, then the answer is yes. Yeah. I am.”

M’gann nearly explodes with excitement, asking, “Who, who, who?”

Coyly, he glances at everyone. Wally can’t help but notice how he lets go of Artemis’ ankle, nor how he doesn’t look anyone in the eye. “Just somebody around, that’s who. Don’t worry about it, I doubt it’ll go anywhere.”

“Why not?”

“Yeah, how come?”

“Don’t think that way, I’m sure something will—”

“The ship has sailed, basically,” Dick cuts in. Wally assumes he’s trying to sound nonchalant, but hitting strained instead. At first, Wally isn’t sure if anyone else hears it. Then he looks over to Artemis, and sees that she’s definitely caught it too.

Their eyes meet and he raises a questioning eyebrow. She shakes her head, and he understands—she doesn’t know what’s up with him either.

“Has yours, Artemis? We forgot to ask.”

“Probably,” she says into her cup. “It might not have ever even been at the docks, really. I don’t know.”

“You’re weirdly quiet, Wally,” Kaldur says.

“Oh, I bet he knows who they’re talking about,” M’gann says to Conner, who immediately replies, “Yeah, they’re so close, there’s no way he doesn’t.”

“So?” Zatanna asks, quirking her sculpted eyebrows. “Do you?”

He doesn’t like that the answer is no. That his two best friends are apparently both ass over teakettle for people, people he’s never heard of before tonight. No, he doesn’t like to push people on their romantic lives, and he won’t now, but it stings that neither of them have mentioned anything to him. Still, he pastes on a smile and shrugs. “Nah, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you guys anyway. But, hey!” He turns to his friends. Artemis has taken her leg off Dick’s lap by now, and something about the way they’re sitting, the closeness that has them pressed together shoulder to knee, makes him feel cold. “You guys are crazy. Whoever these people are, I’m sure they’ll be into you once they know you’re interested. I really think you should go for it.”

Artemis blinks at him, and he thinks maybe he’s getting through to her. She’ll go and ask out her annoying, somehow-worse-than-Wally love interest and they’ll say yes and that will be that.

Dick, though, he just shakes his head and laughs. “Thanks, man, but no. Artie, you should go for it, totally, but I know I’ve missed my chance.”

“This is getting depressing,” Roy cuts in. “Who wants more booze?”

“Here here,” Wally sighs, holding out his cup.

A few hours later, he ends up in Artemis’ bed, a nice full sized one with cheap sheets that feel pleasantly cool. He can hear voices out in the living room still, but they’re just a low buzz, background noise that he can focus on instead of his aching head. Or why he feels sick to his stomach and like he might cry. That’s dumb. Probably just because he’s swamped with school work and his job and he hasn’t talked to Aunt Iris in like a  _ week _ , and he misses her dammit. Plus he’s drunk. All in all, not a good combo for feelings that make sense or are warranted.

It’s not long before the door is opening, a sliver of light illuminating Artemis’ desk. Soft footfalls enter the room, the door staying just the tiniest bit ajar. Waiting for a third person to come in before it really will be closed for the night.

She whispers, “Hey.”

“Sup,” he whispers back.

“You feeling okay?”

Not really. “Peachy keen,” he says instead. It’s not lying when she can hear the truth in his tone, but it  _ feels  _ like lying. He hates it.

She sighs and comes closer, stepping out of her shoes and sitting on the edge of the bed. Groaning, she slumps against him, her shoulder blades on his chest. “Wanna sleep, then?”

“Yeah.” He runs his fingers through her hair, trying not to be weird and smell it. But she has the best scented shampoo of anyone he knows, and he can’t resist. “I’ve been trying but….”

“I get it. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to sleep without you guys sometimes. You’ve ruined sleeping alone for me,” she laughs, more giggles than she’d usually allow.

“I would say sorry, but you did it back. We’re even, Artie.”

Humming, her eyes slip closed. “Yeah, I guess we are. Now we just need to see about Dick.”

“See about what?” The man himself mumbles, stepping into the room with none of his usual grace. He goes straight for the bed, climbing on and curling up behind Wally snugly. Some of the tension in Wally’s body bleeds out. Having Dick close is always a comfort.

Artemis sits up and as she undoes her bra under her shirt, she explains, “We were talking about how hard it is to sleep when we aren’t together.”

Eyes closed so he doesn’t see anything, Wally asks, “You have that problem, Dickie?”

For once, he says nothing about the nickname. Just presses his cold nose to the side of Wally’s neck, sighs gustily, and says, “Duh. I just toss and turn without you guys.”

Artemis lays down, and Wally finds himself once again pressed between them, soft and warm and much more preferable to how it felt to lay here just fifteen minutes ago. He wraps an arm loosely around her waist, feeling her do the same, her fingers probably brushing against Dick’s elbow.

_ I really love them _ , he thinks, drunk and unbidden.

Wait, what?

“Fuck,” he says, too loud.

“Shh,” Dick mumbles, his hand slipping under Wally’s shirt and settling over his belly button. “Sleep. Think in the morning.”

Heat building in him, he tries to breathe and stay calm. Maybe that thought was nothing. Maybe he’s just drunk and sad they’re not telling him everything. Maybe it’s confusing his dumb body, constantly being between them, or helping to sandwich one of them with the other.

Maybe he’s seriously in love with his best friends.

Fuck, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a comment. Thanks! <3


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